Fan assembly

ABSTRACT

A fan assembly includes a first fan and a second fan mounted on the first fan. The first fan includes a plurality of locking units and a plurality of positioning dots extending upwardly therefrom. Each of the locking units includes a perpendicular portion and a horizontal portion. The second fan defines a plurality of through holes therein corresponding to the locking units of the first fan, and a plurality blind holes therein corresponding to the positioning dots of the first fan. Each of the locking units of the first fan extends into a corresponding through hole of the second fan with the horizontal portion thereof engaging with the second fan near an edge of the through hole. Each of the positioning dots of the first fan is received in a corresponding blind hole of the second fan.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to fan assemblies, and more particularly to a fan assembly which can be conveniently assembled.

2. Description of Related Art

With continuing development of the electronic technology, electronic components such as CPUs (central processing units) generate more and more heat required to be dissipated immediately. Therefore, fan assemblies are widely used to help dissipating heat of the electronic components.

A typical fan assembly includes at least two fans assembled together. Each of the fans includes a frame and an impeller rotatably received in the frame. The frames of the fans are assembled together via a plurality of individual fasteners, such as screws or bolts. However, assembling the fans via these fasteners is inconvenient and time-consuming. In addition, these fasteners also increase the manufacture cost of the fan assembly.

For the foregoing reasons, a fan assembly which can overcome the described shortcomings is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a fan assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of the fan assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a fan assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes two fans, i.e. a first fan 10 and a second fan 20 mounted on the first fan 10. The second fan 20 is located above the first fan 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first fan 10 includes a tubular frame 11 and a base 12 disposed in a top end of the frame 11. The base 12 is substantially disk-shaped. A plurality of ribs 13 extend outwardly from a circumference of the base 12 to connect the base 12 to an inner surface of the top end of the frame 11. Each of the ribs 13 is resiliently deformable. The base 12 includes three locking units 120 extending upwardly therefrom towards the second fan 20. The three locking units 120 are arranged around the centre of the base 12 and evenly spaced from each other. The three locking units 120 are located near an outer periphery of the base 12. The locking units 120 each are L-shaped and have an identical structure to each other. Each of the locking units 120 includes a perpendicular portion 121 extending upwardly and perpendicularly from the base 12 and a horizontal portion 122 extending horizontally from a free end of the perpendicular portion 121 along a tangential direction of the base 12. The horizontal portions 122 of the three locking units 120 extend along a counter-clockwise direction. The frame 11 is substantially tubular and includes a flange 14 extending outwardly and horizontally from the top end thereof. The flange 14 is rectangular and surrounds the top end of the frame 11. Four positioning dots 140 protrude upwardly from an upper surface of the flange 14 towards the second fan 20. Each of the positioning dots 140 is positioned at a corner of the flange 14. The positioning dot 140 is substantially truncated cone-shaped. A diameter of a top end of the positioning dot 140 is smaller than that of other portions of the positioning dot 140, while the positioning dot 140 has an arc-shaped periphery 141.

Like the first fan 10, the second fan 20 similarly includes a base 22 and a frame 21; the base 22 is connected to the frame 21 through a plurality of ribs 23 extending outwardly from a circumference of the base 22, and the frame 21 extends a flange 24 at a bottom end thereof. The difference is that the base 22 defines three through holes 220 therein corresponding to the three locking units 120. The three through holes 220 are arranged around the center of the base 22 and evenly spaced from each other. Each of the through holes 220 faces a corresponding locking unit 120 of the first fan 10. Each of the through holes 220 has a shape and size corresponding to that of the horizontal portion 122 of each of the locking units 120. Thus, the locking units 120 can be exactly inserted into the through holes 220, respectively. The flange 24 of the second fan 20 defines four blind holes 240 in four corners thereof corresponding to the four positioning dots 140 of the first fan 10. Each of the blind holes 240 faces a corresponding positioning dot 140.

Each of the first and second fans 10, 20 further includes an impeller 30 (referring to FIG. 1) rotatably received in each of the frames 11, 21 thereof. The two impellers 30 of the two fans 10, 20 are mounted on the bases 12, 22 of the two fans 10, 20, respectively. The bases 12, 22 of the two fans 10, 20 are located between the two impellers 30.

In assembling the fan assembly, the base 12 of the first fan 10 is placed to face the base 22 of the second fan 20, and the four corners of the flange 14 are staggered slightly from the four corners of the flange 24. At this stage, the locking units 120 of the first fan 10 are aligned with the through holes 220 of the second fan 20, respectively. The two fans 10, 20 are pushed towards each other and the locking units 120 of the first fan 10 are inserted into the through holes 220 of the second fan 20, respectively. Then, the second fan 20 is turned clockwise to cause the horizontal portions 122 of the locking units 120 of the first fan 10 to engage with the base 22 of the second fan 20 beside edges of the through holes 220 of the base 22 of the second fan 20. As the second fan 20 is turned clockwise, the flange 24 of the second fan 20 slips through the peripheries 141 of the positioning dots 140 of the first fan 10, and a clearance is thus formed between the flanges 14, 24 of the two fans 10, 20, which causes a resilient deformation of the ribs 13, 23 of the two fans 10, 20. When the positioning dots 140 of the first fan 10 snappingly slip into the blind holes 240 of the second fan 20, the second fan 20 is firmly mounted on the first fan 10. In this state, each positioning dot 140 is received in a blind hole 240 to realize a secure connection in a horizontal direction, and each horizontal portion 122 of the locking unit 120 of the first fan 10 engages with the base 22 of the second fan 20 beside the edge of a corresponding through hole 220 of the second fan 20 to realize a secure connection in a vertical direction. In addition, the locking units 120 and the positioning dots 140 are integrally formed with the first fan 10, to thereby reduce the manufacture cost of the fan assembly.

It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A fan assembly comprising: a first fan comprising a first frame and a first base disposed in the first frame at one end of the first frame, the first base comprising a plurality of locking units extending upwardly therefrom, each of the locking units comprising a perpendicular portion extending upwardly from the first base and a horizontal portion extending horizontally from a free end of the perpendicular portion, the first frame comprising a plurality of positioning dots protruding upwardly therefrom; a second fan mounted on the first fan, the second fan comprising a second frame and a second base disposed in the second frame at one end of the second frame, the second base defining a plurality of through holes therein corresponding to the locking units of the first fan, the second frame defining a plurality blind holes therein corresponding to the positioning dots of the first fan, each of the locking units of the first base extending into a corresponding through hole of the second base with the horizontal portion of the locking unit engaging with the second base near an edge of the corresponding through hole, each of the positioning dots of the first frame being received in a corresponding blind hole of the second frame.
 2. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking units each are L-shaped, the horizontal portion of each of the locking units extends from the perpendicular portion of the locking unit along a tangential direction of the first base.
 3. The fan assembly of claim 2, wherein the locking units are arranged around a center of the first base and evenly spaced from each other, the through holes are arranged around a center of the second base and evenly spaced from each other, each of the locking units facing a corresponding through hole.
 4. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the first frame comprises a first flange extending outwardly from a top end thereof, the positioning dots of the first fan are formed on a top surface of the first flange, the second frame comprises a second flange extending outwardly from a bottom end thereof, the blind holes of the second fan are defined in a bottom surface of the second flange.
 5. The fan assembly of claim 4, wherein the first flange and the second flange each are rectangular, each of the positioning dots is formed at a corner of the first flange, each of the blind holes is defined in a corner of the second flange.
 6. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of ribs extend outwardly from a circumference of the first base to connect the first base to an inner surface of the first frame, and a plurality of ribs extend outwardly from a circumference of the second base to connect the second base to an inner surface of the second frame.
 7. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the positioning dot is substantially truncated cone-shaped, and has an arc-shaped periphery.
 8. A fan assembly comprising: a first fan comprising a first frame and a first base located in a top end of the first frame; a second fan comprising a second frame and a second base located in a bottom end of the second frame; one of the first base and the second base forming a plurality of locking units extending therefrom, each of the locking units comprising a perpendicular portion and a horizontal portion at a free end of the perpendicular portion; the other one of the first base and the second base defining a plurality of through holes therein corresponding to the locking units; one of the first frame and the second frame defining a plurality of blind holes therein, the other one of the first frame and the second frame forming a plurality of positioning dots corresponding to the blind holes; each of the locking units extending into a corresponding through hole with the horizontal portion of the locking unit engaging with the other one of the first base and the second base near an edge of the corresponding through hole, each of the positioning dots being received in a corresponding blind hole.
 9. The fan assembly of claim 8, wherein when the locking units are inserted into the through holes, one of the first fan and the second fan is turned slightly relative to the other one of the first fan and the second fan to cause the horizontal portion of the locking unit to engage with the other one of the first base and the second base near the edge of the corresponding through hole, and the positioning dot slips into the corresponding blind hole. 